Gensler has recently unveiled the design for the Pavillon Notre-Dame, which will provide a temporary place of worship in Parvis Square while the Notre-Dame Cathedral is being restored from the fire that nearly destroyed it just over 100 days ago.
The pavilion’s primary building material is charred timber. Not only will the charred timber provide the structure with added strength and durability, but it also symbolizes that what once destroyed Notre-Dame will now serve to make it stronger, according to Duncan Swinhoe, Regional Managing Principal, Gensler.
The pavilion acts as a sheltered nave and is reminiscent of the structural rhythms and forms of the Gothic cathedral. The roof is built of ETFE cushions and walls made of translucent polycarbonate, meaning the structure will be flooded with natural light.
Movable panels behind the altar allow for a full view of Notre-Dame. Rotating panels at the ground floor can be positioned to open or close the edge of the structure to mirror the configuration of the cathedral for mass services, or they can be moved to open up the space for its other potential uses as a marketplace or for performances.
“It is important that the design is true to, but doesn’t upstage, the cathedral,” Swinhoe said. “We wanted to strike a balance between a structure that invites the community yet can be transformed to become a reflective and spiritual haven when mass is celebrated.”
Related Stories
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Construction Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Structure Tone, DPR, Gilbane top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction contractor and construction management firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Engineering Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
URS, STV, Wiss Janney Elstner top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction engineering and engineering/architecture firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Reconstruction Sector Architecture Firms [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Stantec, HOK, HDR top Building Design+Construction's 2013 ranking of the largest reconstruction architecture and architecture/engineering firms in the U.S.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
| Jul 1, 2013
Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025
A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.
| Jun 28, 2013
Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report
A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals.
